That means San Jose travelers will be able to fly non-stop to Newark on United or Alaska Airlines, and soon on either JetBlue or Delta to JFK. JetBlue started its SJC-JFK service in 2004, while Alaska and United both launched SJC-Newark flights last March.

Delta will use a 737-800 on its new SJC-JFK non-stop. (Chris McGinnis)

The new Delta flight will operate as a red-eye from San Jose, with a 10:35 p.m. departure time and a 7:15 a.m. JFK arrival. The return flight leaves JFK at 8:15 a.m. and gets to SJC at 11:45 a.m. JetBlue’s service is also an eastbound red-eye, while the eastbound United and Alaska flights depart SJC at 6:20 a.m. and 9:14 a.m. respectively.

“We’re hopeful that as they (i.e. Delta) experience success with the red-eye, they will then ultimately feel confident about the revenue potential of adding more daytime service,” an SJC spokesman told Travelskills. “That’s exactly what Delta did in the case of Atlanta service, where 18 months ago we had only a red-eye non-stop to Atlanta, but that was so successful that they now have added two additional daytime non-stops to ATL.”

Still, he added, “In Delta’s case, we’re very pleased that the westbound JFK flight operates in the morning, allowing business travelers to arrive in time for lunch in Silicon Valley. JetBlue’s westbound flight is in the evening, so Delta’s new flight does increase the menu of options available through the day.”

Business travelers heading to New York may no longer be immune from a daily add-on to their hotel bill that used to be limited to leisure destinations like Hawaii and Las Vegas. And hotels in other big cities might not be far behind.

At the leisure destinations, the hotels call these contentious charges ”resort fees,” supposedly covering the hotels’ costs of providing things like pool towel service, fitness center use, phone calls, daily newspaper and so on – and the fees are mandatory whether the guest actually uses any of the covered services or not.

Probably the most notorious destination for charging exorbitant hotel ”resort fees” is Las Vegas, where big hotels routinely tack more than $30 a day onto guests’ final bills. And they are not included in the quoted room price during web searches.

Now, according to a report in the U.K. newspaper The Independent, resort fees are coming to many hotels in New York City under another name – the Urban Destination Charge.

The newspaper found that a number of hotels in Manhattan – especially those in the Times Square area – have started tacking a mandatory “destination fee” or “facility fee” onto guests’ bills, with the amount ranging from $15 to $25 a day. The fees are being charged by properties belonging to major chains like Marriott/Starwood and Hilton.

A Marriott spokesperson told the newspaper the fees were imposed at some of its properties as a four-month test program, and estimated that about 40 New York hotels are now charging them.

Las Vegas hotels are notorious for the size of their resort fees. (Image: Jim Glab)

Like the resort fees, the new charges are supposedly covering hotel services like Internet, fitness rooms, newspaper and so on, whether or not the guest uses them. They may also include a one-time food and beverage credit (even though the charge is imposed for every day of the guest’s stay), or discount vouchers to use for city tours, etc.

Hotel resort fees have been drawing scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission for years, but so far the agency hasn’t done anything to rein them in except to warn hotels back in 2012 that they ought to be more transparent in disclosing such fees to customers.

In 2015, the FTC rejected a request from a consumers’ group that hotels should be required to incorporate resort fees into their regular room rates. Earlier this year, the FTC’s Bureau of Economics issued a report on hotel resort fees that concluded they can harm consumers by making their room searches and price comparisons more difficult. That report was issued in the final days of the Obama Administration during early January. With the changeover to Republican rule in Washington, it is considered unlikely that the FTC would come out with any new regulations restricting hotels’ freedom to assess resort and/or destination fees.

So don’t be surprised if more hotels in other urban centers take note of the New York experience and decide to tack on some new fees of their own.

Readers: Have you encountered any unexpected mandatory hotel fees recently? Where, how much, and what were they for?

Whether you are in New York City for a business trip or a long weekend, seeing a live performance on (or off) Broadway is always a highlight. But getting tickets to the shows you want to see requires a lot more time, effort and in many cases, money, than you may have available.

While you can always hand over show-ticket responsibility to your hotel concierge, you’ll pay top dollar (plus tip!) for that kind of service. But if you’d like to save a little money and do it yourself, here are four tips:

1> Tourists and theater lovers seeking discounted tickets to see the best Broadway shows usually head to well-known TKTS booths located in Times Square, South Street Seaport or Brooklyn. For availability and tips for avoiding lines (but not for ticket sales), check out the TKTS website, or download its app first. TKTS offers heavily discounted tickets (up to 50% off) for same-day and next-day performances of some of the most popular shows, but waiting in line can take hours (especially during peak summer or winter season). Who has time for that?

2> Check out StubHub’s New York City Last Minute Service Center at 1412 Broadway & 39th St. There you will find computers that you can use to find ticket deals up to 20 minutes before curtain. Ticket prices often drop last-minute so if you have the flexibility and are willing to take a chance, you could end up with really cheap tickets (or no tickets at all). There’s an even better chance of saving money if you’re willing to buy individual tickets. People usually want to sit with their group, but if you’re solo or willing to split up for the performance, it will pay off in savings. After you buy tickets on the computer, a StubHub employee will print them for you on the spot so you can rush off to the venue- most are nearby. (TripAdvisor forums show that some folks have even been able to score Hamilton tickets here.)

Hamilton The Musical is the hottest ticket in town in NYC. Seen it? (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

3> Use discount ticket sites that can help you get a bargain without leaving your hotel room. Sites or apps like Goldstar and TodayTix offer last-minute Broadway play and musical tickets up to 50% off. In addition to Broadway shows, these websites offer tickets to other performances in the city like opera and comedy shows.

4>Don’t forget that you can also drop by the theatre on the day of the show and ask about same-day rush tickets, which can go for as little as $25 each. Call the theatre to find out when its ticket window opens and get there early. This is a great idea for solo travelers since most of the really cheap seats are singles or in some cases, standing room only. (This strategy has worked well for me on my frequent solo trips to London, too.)

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Vivid Seats reached out with this helpful advice: I work for Vivid Seats, the largest independent online ticket marketplace with a similar size of StubHub. If you want to see an in-demand Broadway show, Vivid Seats is ideal – tickets don’t sell out and you can pick exactly where you want to sit. You don’t have to settle for a show just because tickets are available – we have tickets when you want them. We would be thrilled if you would link to us as an additional resource for Broadway tickets. If you should choose to, the most relevant page is here. https://www.vividseats.com/theatre/broadway/

Tell us about how you scored great seats to a Broadway play. What did you see? How much did you pay? How was the show?

Guest rooms at the new Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills all have balconies. (Image: Waldorf Astoria Hotels)

Recent hotel openings include a Waldorf Astoria in the heart of Beverly Hills; the first Hyatt House property in New York City; a dual-branded Marriott in downtown Phoenix; Choice Hotels International’s Cambria brand in Chicago’s Loop; and a new Westin in Milwaukee.

Hilton’s luxury Waldorf Astoria brand has cut the ribbon on the newly-built, 12-story Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, located at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards, adjacent to the Beverly Hilton Hotel and within walking distance of Rodeo Drive. The property has 119 guest rooms and 51 suites, with a décor “inspired by the contemporary interpretation of Hollywood glamour and the Streamline Moderne style of the 1930s and 40s,” the company said. Each room has floor-to-ceiling windows and a private balcony. The hotel has a guests-only rooftop pool deck with VIP cabanas, and food/drink venues created by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, including a rooftop restaurant, the Jean-George Beverly Hills Bar, and the signature Jean-Georges Beverly Hills restaurant. The hotel’s Rolls Royce will take guests anywhere within a two-mile radius. Honors rates start at $635.

Accommodations at the new Hyatt House in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. (Image: Hyatt)

The newest addition to Hyatt’s extended-stay Hyatt House brand is in New York City. The 150-room Hyatt House New York/Chelsea is at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 28th Street. Accommodations are studio and one-bedroom units, ranging in size from 270 to 510 square feet; all units have a refrigerator and microwave, and half of them have full kitchenettes. They also come with floor-to-ceiling windows, large flat-panel TVs and dedicated work spaces. The 30th floor rooftop features an open-air “recreational area” with great Manhattan views, along with a 24-hour indoor fitness center. The H Bar on the second floor serves up breakfast and evening food and cocktails, and the hotel has a 24-hour take-out market. Rates start at $329.

In the heart of downtown Phoenix at 132 South Central Avenue is a newly-opened, dual-branded, 20-story Marriott property that includes a 120-room Courtyard and a 200-suite Residence Inn. The hotel has direct access to the city’s light rail network and is within walking distance of the Phoenix Convention Center. Shared facilities for the two brands include an indoor pool, a fitness center, and 5,733 square feet of meeting space. The Courtyard features a new guest-friendly room design that offers a “tech drop” ledge for charging personal devices. The multipurpose lobby provides “media pods,” free Wi-Fi and a bistro. The Residence Inn has studio suites designed for stays of five or more nights, each equipped with full kitchens. Amenities include free breakfast, grocery delivery, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour market. Rates start at $83 at the Courtyard and $129 at the Residence Inn.

Public areas at the Cambria Hotel in Chicago’s theater district. (Image: Cambria Hotels)

Choice Hotels International’s fast-growing Cambria brand has added a new property in downtown Chicago: The Cambria Chicago Loop-Theatre District. The 199-room hotel occupies the top 19 floors of the 22-story 32 West Randolph building, which went up in 1926. The lower part of the building is occupied by the historic Oriental Theater. Rooms have smart TVs, Bluetooth and free Wi-Fi, and the hotel has an American bistro restaurant called Social Circle. The hotel offers valet parking, and a game room with table games and TVs for watching sports events. Rates start at $178.

The new Westin Milwaukee has views of Lake Michigan. (Image: Westin Hotels)

Marriott’s Westin Hotels & Resorts brand has opened its first property in Wisconsin: The 220-room Westin Milwaukee. It’s located near the Lake Michigan waterfront at the end of Michigan Street, and is connected to the U.S. Bank Center. The property has nine meeting rooms totaling more than 9,000 square feet, along with a grand ballroom. The brand’s signature WestinWorkout fitness studio is there, along with suggested running routes along the lakefront as part of the RunWestin program. The hotel’s signature eatery is an Italian-American steakhouse called Stella Van Buren, and its bar has a “meticulously curated selection of bourbon” as well as an all-Wisconsin draft beer menu. SPG member prepaid rates start at $249.

A studio suite at The Ned in London’s Financial District. (Image: The Ned)

In news of hotel openings, a hot new business hotel comes to London’s financial district; InterContinental Hotels Group brings an Indigo to downtown L.A.; a British boutique property debuts in midtown Manhattan; a Baltimore pier is remade into luxury lodging; Atlanta welcomes another airport hotel; and Dallas gets a dual-branded Marriott property near Love Field.

The talk of the lodging scene in London is a new hotel called The Ned, located in the heart of The City (i.e., the financial district) in the stately 1920s-era Midland Bank building. (The building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, known as Ned to his friends. Hence the name.) The building’s original design features have been preserved, with a 252-room hotel incorporated into them. A project of renowned hoteliers Andrew Zobler and Nick Jones, The Ned is slated to open April 27. No cookie-cutter rooms here: Rooms come in 13 categories, and the property boasts seven restaurants (including a 24-hour brasserie and a Jewish deli), six meeting rooms, a spa, men’s and women’s salons, and even a barber shop. The building’s former bank vault now contains a bar, and there’s also a rooftop grill. Pre-paid, non-refundable nightly rates for a small “crash pad” room start at $320, although the hotel offers a special discount rate of $230 for persons under 30.

The mixed-use Metropolis development in downtown Los Angeles includes a newly opened, 350-room Hotel Indigo from InterContinental Hotels Group. The newly built, 18-story Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, at 899 Francisco Street, is within walking distance of the L.A. Live entertainment district, Los Angeles Convention Center and the Staples Center. It has a lobby-level restaurant/bar called Metropole; a top-floor cocktail lounge; a large outdoor pool terrace and bar on the fourth floor; 24-hour fitness facility; and 11 meeting rooms. Rates start at $263.

A terrace suite at Manhattan’s new Whitby Hotel. (Image: The Whitby)

Newly opened in Midtown Manhattan is The Whitby Hotel, an 86-room boutique property with a strong British influence from designer Kit Kemp, who created several similar properties in London along with the Crosby Street Hotel in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The Whitby, at 18 West 56th Street, is close to the Museum of Modern Art and a few blocks from Central Park. Guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and free Wi-Fi, and some come with private terraces. The hotel has a restaurant/bar open for three meals a day, and an adjacent orangerie with high ceilings and a skylight. The hotel serves a traditional British afternoon tea. Rates start at $695.

Room with a waterfront view at Baltimore’s new Sagamaore Pendry. (Image: Pendry Hotels)

Baltimore’s century-old Recreation Pier building along the Fell’s Point waterfront, at 1715 Thames Street, has been totally renovated into a luxury boutique hotel called the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore. Along with 128 over-water guest rooms and suites, the new Pendry has a signature restaurant called the Chop House; the Cannon Room bar; a seasonal waterfront pool with a bar and grill; 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; a water taxi service; 24-hour fitness center; and a spa. Advance purchase rates start at $375.

In Atlanta, an early May opening is slated for the new Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, accessible from ATL on the airport’s free SkyTrain. Part of the Gateway project (which already has a SpringHill Suites and a Marriott) near the Georgia International Convention Center, it’s on the west side of the airport, about three miles from the existing Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel on the north side. The 204-room Renaissance Gateway has a restaurant called Hickory & Hazel Southern Table & Bar and a fitness center. Rates start at $136.

Bar the the new Aloft Hotel near Dallas Love Field. (Image: Marriott)

Just a mile from Dallas Love Field, at 2333 W. Mockingbird Lane, is a new dual-branded property from Marriott that includes a 133-room Aloft hotel and a 91-room Element property. The two share a common entry and meeting space, along with a fitness center and outdoor pool. They’re part of the new retail/residential development called West Love. The Element Dallas Love Field’s guest units come with full kitchens and spa-style bathrooms, free breakfasts, and bicycles to ride on local trails. The Aloft Dallas Love Field offers a grab-and-go food market and drinks kiosk, and the property has musical entertainment at its W XYZ Bar. Rates start at $179 at the Aloft and $164 at the Element.

Even though its competitor Lyft has always allowed customers to tip drivers through its app, ride-sharing giant Uber has firmly resisted that option – although it might soon be forced to change its policy.

New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission this week said it will take up a proposal that would require car services that rely on app-based credit card transactions to include a way for customers to tip drivers through the app. If the commission ultimately decides to adopt the rule, a process that could take several months, other cities might follow suit.

>>SEE POLL BELOW!>>

The New York proposal is backed by a petition effort signed by thousands of drivers. Two months ago, a bill was introduced in the California legislature that would impose a similar requirement on Uber.

A year ago, as part of a settlement with drivers in California and Massachusetts, the company agreed that it’s OK for drivers to solicit cash tips by posting signs in their cars, or simply by asking customers.

Uber drivers want an easier way to collect gratuities. (Image: Uber)

On its website, Uber informs customers who look for guidance that its app does not include a tip in the trip fare. “In most cities, Uber is a cashless experience,” the website says. “Tipping is voluntary. As a rider, you are not obligated to offer your driver a gratuity in cash. If you decide you would like to tip your driver is welcome to accept.” That verbiage was recently changed from the previous version: “You don’t need cash when you ride with Uber. Once you arrive at your destination, your fare is automatically charged to your credit card on file — there’s no need to tip.”

After the company changed its policy on tipping last year, an article in the Harvard Business Review was highly critical of the company’s decision not to allow gratuities to be paid through its app, instead requiring a separate transaction between passenger and driver.

“While this tipping procedure sounds harmless, it puts Uber at a significant competitive disadvantage,” the article said. “In addition to the inconvenience of the extra step, which will require business travelers to collect multiple receipts for expense account reimbursements, many riders will feel pressured to be overly generous in the amount they tip.” It noted that customers might also feel pressure to cough up a bigger tip if they want a good rating from the driver. “Customers never enjoy being strong-armed over a gratuity,” the article said.

When we polled our readers in February 2016, we found that by a two-to-one margin, they do not regularly tip Uber (or Lyft) drivers. Would that change if you could tip through the Uber app?

POLL:

If Uber adds a tipping feature to its app, would you be more likely to tip your driver?

Triplex Suites atop the New York Palace hotel have huge outdoor decks w Jacuzzis. Sweet! But I’m not sure if this is where the President stays. (Chris McGinnis)

President Obama (Photo: Wikimedia)

Fair warning for New York or San Francisco bound travelers this week: Beware of traffic, sold out restaurants and hotels, long waits for taxis and Uber/Lyft surge pricing. Why? In New York, blame the meeting of the UN General Assembly (which will include a Sunday-Wednesday visit and address by President Obama, which makes traffic even worse). As we’ve reported here on TravelSkills, the President now stays at the Lotte New York Palace hotel (Madison and 50th) which means near constant gridlock in that part of town. When we checked, the few rooms left at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square were running $754 per night. Layer on the additional security in the city due to this past weekend’s bombings, and you have a recipe for for some big travel headaches.

In San Francisco, blame the huge Oracle Open World Conference this week, which fills the city and airports to the gills with techies- and everything is overpriced. Both Sting and Gwen Stefani will have private concerts for attendees. Airports (and airfares) will be most crazy on Sunday (start) and Thursday (end). Hotels are mostly full, but what’s left over is overpriced– like the handful of rooms left at the Hilton Financial District going for $600 per night. Also, since so many attendees extend their visits, both weekends will be pretty crazy. And a reservation at a top SF restaurant? Feggedaboudit! And it’s not over yet! The even larger Dreamforce 2016 conference packs the city similarly– It runs Tuesday Oct 4 – Friday Oct 7, and includes a concert by U2!

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

In 2005, New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel closed down for a three-year renovation that left it with just 130 hotel rooms, and the rest of its space converted into condo hotel units and luxury condo apartments. And now the same thing might be happening to another iconic Manhattan property, the Waldorf-Astoria.

According to the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the new Chinese owner of the once-tony-now-shabby midtown hotel – Anbang Insurance, which lost out to Marriott in an unsuccessful takeover effort for Starwood Hotels – plans to shut the property down next spring and convert most of its space into apartments.

In recent years, the grand dame has fallen from grace with many business travelers– on TripAdvisor it now ranks #281 out of #475 New York City hotels. Nonetheless, a cursory check of rates for summer and fall find it still fetching close to $500 per night.

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the newspaper reported that Anbang will repurpose up to 1,100 of the Waldorf’s 1,413 rooms into luxury condominiums to be sold to private owners. That would leave the property with 300 to 500 hotel rooms that would be upgraded to luxury standards. Hilton would continue to manage the hotel portion after the conversion, the article said.

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

There was no estimate as to how long the renovation project – expected to cost more than $1 billion — would keep the hotel, which spans a full city block in Manhattan, closed.

The Waldorf had long been used as a New York base for visiting U.S. presidents and for the country’s United Nations delegation, but the U.S. government had problems with continued use of the property after Anbang bought it, citing security concerns.

Have you ever stayed at the Waldorf? For me, the hotel conjures up memories of my very first trip to NYC with my parents at the tender age of 13. Even when I’m not staying there, I still like to duck into its popular, dark and clubby Sir Harry’s lobby bar for a manhattan and nibblies!

The new LondonHouse in Chicago is at N. Michigan Ave. and Wacker. (Image: LondonHouse)

In news of hotel openings, a new Chicago property has a prime downtown location and an affiliation with Hilton; a big Spanish lodging group makes its U.S. debut in New York City; Radisson comes to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor; and there’s a new Homewood Suites at Washington D.C.’s convention center.

Right at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive – overlooking the Chicago River – is the newly opened LondonHouse Chicago, a 452-room “luxury lifestyle” property that incorporates the 93-year-old London Guarantee Building. The new independent hotel is a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection, and Hilton HHonors is offering members a 5,000-poont bonus when they stay at the hotel for three days or more. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center, lobby bar, free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa, and a tri-level rooftop dining venue and cocktail lounge called LH. Guest rooms have 55-inch TVs with media streaming technology from Google Chromecast; they also feature mini-fridges, linen bedding and marble bathrooms. Rates start at $207.

Iberostar’s first U.S. location is at 70 Park Ave. in New York. (Image: Iberostar)

Spain’s Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has set a June 15 opening for a 205-room, four-star boutique Iberostar hotel in New York City, its first venture in the U.S. Located at 70 Park Avenue (at 38th Street), it’s a short walk from Grand Central Station. The property was formerly a Kimpton hotel called 70 Park Avenue. We tried to check rates for the new property, but at this writing it wasn’t yet available in Iberostar’s reservations system. Iberostar said it also plans to open a hotel in Miami’s South Beach district at the end of this year.

A room at the Radisson Baltimore Downtown-Inner Harbor. (Image: Radisson)

Radisson has cut the ribbon on the 323-room Radisson Hotel Baltimore Downtown-Inner Harbor, at 101 West Fayette Street, half a mile from the Inner Harbor. It offers downtown Baltimore’s only outdoor rooftop pool, free Wi-Fi, a business center and 24-hour fitness center. Accommodations include Carlson Business Class rooms that come with upgraded amenities and free breakfast. Food and drink is available at the hotel’s Balto Tavern & Tap, which also offers a grab-and-go menu. Rates range from $95 to $249.

Hilton;’s new Homewood Suites in Washington D.C. is near the convention center. (Image: Hilton)

Hilton has opened a 160-unit, all-suite Homewood Suites property near the Washington D.C. Convention Center, at 465 New York Avenue NW. It has studio and one-bedroom guest accommodations that have separate living and sleeping areas as well as fully equipped kitchens. Guests get free hot breakfasts and free Wi-Fi along with use of the hotel’s fitness center. The property hosts an “evening social:” for guests on weeknights. Advance purchase rates start as low as $140.

So many new hotels have been opening in New York City that we haven’t been able to keep up with them all in our periodic new hotel updates. So in an effort to catch up, here’s an all-New York update on some of the latest developments on the Big Apple lodging scene.

In lower Manhattan, longer-stay travelers have a couple of new lodging options. One is the Q&A Residential Hotel, the first commercial hotel from the business apartment company Furnished Quarters. Guest units of 500 to 1,400 square feet are designed to serve as apartment-style accommodations for business travelers (although there is no minimum stay requirement), most of them no doubt in the financial services industry. Located at 70 Pine Street – the old art-deco landmark AIG Building – the hotel is just a couple of blocks from the New York Stock Exchange. Guest units have full-sized kitchens, smart TVs and walk-in closets; some have washers and dryers. Advance purchase rates start at $371.

A big rental suite at the AKA Wall Street. (Image: AKA)

Not far away at 84 William Street is the newest Manhattan location for AKA, which operates buildings with serviced residential-style suites for longer-stay business travelers. The new 132-unit AKA Wall Street has studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with hardwood floors, kitchens, free premium cable TV services including HBO, free local phone calls with voicemail, and free Wi-Fi, among other amenities. It has a 24-hour staffed front desk, free laundry facilities, housekeeping, and same-day dry cleaning, as well as a fitness center and business center. The property is taking reservations starting in the first week of June, with rates start at $295 a night.

A colorful room at The Redbury on East 30th Street. (Image: The Redbury)

Manhattan used to have commercial hotels that catered only to female guests, like the Barbizon on East 63rd Street and the Martha Washington on E. 30th. Now the former Martha Washington has been made over and just opened as The Redbury New York (the entrance has been moved from 30th Street to 29 E. 29th Street, between Madison and Park). It’s a member of the Preferred Hotels group. The boutique property has 256 rooms that offer Wi-Fi, designer bath amenities and in-room dining from the hotel’s on-site restaurant called Marta – part of celebrity restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Advance purchase rates start at $269.

Guest accommodations at the new Shocard near Times Square. (Image: Hotel Shocard)

In the Times Square area (on 41st Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues) is the newly opened Hotel Shocard, a boutique property with just 45 rooms and two suites. It sports a Broadway theater theme, with “inspiration from the grit and the glamour of NYC in the 1960s and 1970s,” the opening announcement says. (Well, grit anyway; it cites the movies Midnight Cowboy and Taxi Driver as representative of the “old Times Square” of that era.) Anyway, rooms are equipped with furniture custom-made in Italy and the hotel offers free Wi-Fi and daily newspaper. It has a bar/restaurant called Gleason’s Tavern that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a big selection of craft beers. Introductory rates start at $149.

Note: None of these new hotels are part of major chains and their popular frequent stay programs. How does that impact your desire to stay at them? Please leave your comments below.

Earlier this month I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, packing along my camera and notepad. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it.

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Among the five hotels I toured in NYC, the Knickerbocker has the most history and the best story. This hotel was THE place to see and be seen in the early 1900’s. Scion John Jacob Astor opened the hotel in 1906 and when big shots showed up in New York, they bedded down (and partied) at the Knickerbocker.

But the party only lasted for about 15 years. Prohibition became the law of the land in 1919, and by 1921 the hotel shut down. Until recently this fabulous Beaux-Arts structure at the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway has forlornly served as an office building– at one time housing the offices of Newsweek Magazine.

But the brand new 330-room, 17-story Knickerbocker came back to life in February 2015 as “the only five-star hotel on Times Square” according to a spokesperson.

What struck me most about the hotel is how its interior is the opposite of what you see outside. It’s freshly scrubbed facade is ornate and busy. The hotel is located on one of the craziest crossroads in the world with lights, sounds, smells and crowds pulsating along the streets and sidewalks.

But walk in the front door on 42nd Street and you are greeted by a soothing cool and quiet lobby (see photo) without much going on. Head to the elevator and up to your room and you feel the same sense of zen-like peace surrounded by neutral colors, low-slung, modern furniture with clean lines. All that calm is juxtaposed when you peer out your window to the cacophony of the street scene below.

So what the Knickerbocker offers is the best of two worlds– access to the craziness of Times Square and a cool quiet and spacious sanctuary (rooms are large by NYC standards) to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Don’t miss the Knickerbocker’s outstanding rooftop bar (St Cloud) and decks– easily one of the most dramatic rooftops in a city where rooftop bars are sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain. Pop in for a drink and soak up the psychedelic show below. Celebrity restaurateur Charlie Palmer runs St Cloud as well as the classy diner-like Jake’s and Charlie Palmer at the Knick (perfect for power breakfast).

Average rates run in the $400-$500 range, but in mid February, we found prices as low as $275 (including breakfast) for a basic room. But if you feel like a splurge, the dramatic corner suites with that stunning Times Square view are going for about $500 per night in February.

Hotel website: The Knickerbocker, 6 Times Square, NYC (A member of Leading Hotels of the World)

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

This hotel is located in an iconic clocktower building on Madison Square Park (Photo: Marriott)

Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the third of the big five…I’ll post all of these in a series over the next few days. Enjoy!

What I like best about the New York EDITION (opened May 2015) is its location south of Midtown on Madison Square Park in the Flatiron district. It is not only a pretty part of town, but it really feels like New York, and not the processed touristy feel you get in Midtown or Times Square. Plus, it is located at a subway crossroads, so it’s really easy to get around town.

Marriott teamed up with Ian Schrager to create the EDITION brand, and his warm-yet-minimalist touch is evident throughout this 273-room, 52-story tower. The iconic clocktower building overlooking Madison Park was once the headquarters for MetLife, with the original CEO’s office now part of the super-popular Clocktower restaurant on the second floor (highly rated by Zagat). The EDITION’s hip lobby bar attracts a fun crowd of guests and locals after work– there’s a DJ on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. And the popular Italian food emporium Eataly is just across the park.

There are 10 room types in this hotel, but the best in the house are those that overlook the park (see view in slideshow). The hotel kept the unusual scalloped ceilings from the office building– they are in 60% of the rooms. The room feature I liked best was the large floating oak table in each room, which serves as a desk as well as an area to eat or drink or work without staring at a wall or a mirror– more hotels should adopt this. In-room wi-fi is free. Like nearly every one of the new hotels in New York, the EDITION sports hardwood floors.

In February, the lowest midweek rates hover around $400 per night– or 40,000 to 50,000 Marriott Rewards points.

A gorgeous marble-bottom pool in the basement of this luxury Midtown hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the second of the big five…I’ll post all of these in a series over the next few days. Enjoy!

From 53rd Street, this hotel’s translucent glass facade and black doors are classy, but nondescript. You enter and take an elevator to the second floor lobby (listening to the Baccarat crystal sconces tinkle!), step off and walk into the glittering Grand Salon where staff outfitted tastefully in all black greet you, then float around quietly and attentively in the background.

The hotel itself is relatively small– just 114 rooms on 12 stories of a tower that is mostly residences.

Since room rates start in the $800-$900 per night range (depending on season), not many TravelSkills readers will be overnighting here…but, it’s worth getting in just to see the public areas such as the striking lobby and even better, The Bar, which is frequently packed on weeknights with a chic corporate crowd sipping craft cocktails and champagne out of, you guessed it, all Baccarat crystal glassware. (The bar opens at 4 pm, so get there early if you want a table. A line usually forms by 6 pm.)

Tip: Do you know how to identify a true Baccarat crystal chandelier? Look closely at any of the 17 glittering chandeliers in the lobby, and among the thousands of crystals, you’ll find a single red one. That’s how you know it’s the real deal.

What else stood out for me at this hotel? The spectacular pool in the basement… a glimmering aquamarine gem with a checkerboard marble bottom and three cabanas for poolside lounging. When I was there, the space was vacant, which made me sad.

The hotel’s most expensive room, the Baccarat Suite, goes for a cool $18,000 per night. During the slow weeks in January, rates dip for regular rooms have dipped as low as $630, and if you book two consecutive nights, you’ll get the third one for free.

The Baccarat New York is the first of what a spokesperson said will be several new hotels coming to places like Dubai, Qatar and Morocco.

A luxury hotel where nearly everything is reclaimed or recycled, including this piece in the lobby (Chris McGinnis)

Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, camera and notepad in hand. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

Of the five new hotels I checked out, the 1 Hotel Central Park (opened August 2015) was probably my favorite.

It combined a hip sense of eco-friendliness with deep luxury and well-thought-out design and details. I mean, just check out that gorgeous window seat overlooking Central Park (in slideshow above)- wouldn’t you love to snuggle in there with a good book on a snowy winter afternoon?

This converted office building has 229 rooms spread over 17 floors (there’s still a dentist’s office on the top floor whose lease is still in effect). You’ll notice the building when you see the green ivy that sheathes the first two floors and the hip and healthy diners through the big window panes in Jams, its organic restaurant.

The best rooms in the house are the “14” numbered rooms on the corner looking north over 6th Avenue to Central Park. Nearly everything in the hotel is recycled or reclaimed, from the wood paneling in rooms (from spent rooftop water tanks) and the mismatched marble in the showers (from old buildings), to the floor in the gym (old U of Wisconsin basketball court). Closet hangers are made of recycled cardboard. An hourglass next to the shower gently asks that you try to keep showers to just five minutes.

All the water in the building is “triple filtered and oxygenated” according to a spokesperson. There are plants and moss growing out of glass bottles, terrariums and epiphytes in all rooms and public spaces.

Wi-fi is free and rates start at around $400-$500 per night. Even thought the hotel is the brainchild of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ one-time CEO Barry Sternlicht, it’s not possible to earn or redeem your SPG points at 1 Hotels. Currently, there’s one other 1 Hotel in South Beach Miami, and another one coming later this year to Brooklyn.

Smaller airlines are concerned that they can’t gain access to New York’s airports. (Image: Jim Glab)

Although smaller, low-cost airlines in the U.S. have been growing much faster than their giant rivals, they have been mostly stymied in their desire to gain access to the nation’s biggest air travel market: New York. So they’re pushing for a change in the rules.

Five airlines — Virgin America, Spirit, Frontier, Alaska and Allegiant —sent a letter this week to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Department asking government officials to come up with a solution to the carriers’ relative lack of access to LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports. All three airports are slot-constrained — i.e., they are operating at full capacity, so the only way for an airline to get a new slot pair is to buy it from an incumbent, or trade for one somewhere else.

Current rules that govern the allocation of takeoff and landing slots at the three airports expire in about a year, and the FAA earlier this year started a rulemaking proceeding that is considering how to amend them.

The five carriers argue that with the consolidation of the major airlines in recent years, the only way to promote competition and to keep fares at a reasonable level in the New York market is to allow smaller and/or low-fare airlines to fly there from more cities.

The proposed rule changes that the FAA is looking at include a requirement that an airline would have to use every allocated slot 80 percent of the time “for the same flight or series of flights throughout the scheduling season” if it wants to keep the slot. (Current usage rules don’t require airlines to account for each slot individually.)

The FAA has also proposed various alternatives for creating a secondary market for the purchase, sale or exchange of slots at the New York airports, and would require the Transportation department to review each proposed transaction for its impact on competition.

The slot allocation procedures at New York airports are separate from the ongoing discussions at the New York-New Jersey Port Authority about whether to lift or amend the perimeter rule at LaGuardia, which limits flights out of that airport to no more than 1,500 miles. That’s why you can’t currently fly non-stop between LaGuardia and the West Coast — although that could change, especially with the huge redevelopment of LGA that’s coming.

Readers: Should New York airports allow more smaller carriers in? Would you fly them?

“Very unfriendly reception. Extreme dirty hotel. How the City of NY can tolerate and name such a house as a hotel?

“The rooms do not have windows, the very dirty bed is 5 feet long, the room about 4×5 feet, the shared bathroom was extreme dirty and moldy, it’s a fight to get a towel and once I got it I did not use it because of the big brown spots, I finally left this ugly place, was too afraid for my health.”

“It’s really not good for the tourism branch of the city….hope the authorities act”

These frightening finds might scare off a lot of travelers, but there are still many great hotels in New York City. TripAdvisor’s top-ranked NYC hotels have hundreds of reviews telling users why we should stay there.

“I took my 9 year old for her annual birthday trip and it was magical. They acknowledged her birthday every step of the way, including cupcakes in our room and handwritten notes wishing her a great day.”

“The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on in a hotel. The view was spectacular. The little touches made the difference- the minibar was complimentary, the toiletries included everything you could need.”

“I will remember this trip forever. Tammy C. is a phenomenal concierge who goes above and beyond to surprise and delight the guest. We are still smiling!”

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

Are licensed taxi drivers justified in their fears that ride-sharing apps like Uber are going to take away a significant portion of their business? In New York City — the nation’s largest market for hired rides — the answer appears to be yes.

The statistical website Fivethirtyeight.com got data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission for the second quarter of 2015 and compared it with numbers from the same quarter a year earlier to see how the market was changing.

It found that in the borough of Manhattan’s “core” area — i.e., the southern half of the island, where the vast bulk of the business is — the number of passengers picked up by Uber drivers during the quarter increased by 3.82 million year-over-year. And the number of taxi pick-ups? It declined by almost the same amount — 3.83 million.

“Throughout Manhattan, riders have shifted from taxis to Ubers millions of times, perhaps attracted to features Uber promotes as advantages: newer cars, no need to hail, driver ratings and no tipping,” Fivethirtyeight.com said.

Taxis are still carrying more than four times as many riders as Uber drivers in New York City overall, but the trend lines are clearly going up for Uber and down for taxis.

Meanwhile, although business is good for Uber, some of its drivers are less than thrilled with the current business model. An Uber drivers’ group called Uber Freedom has called for a three-day strike in major U.S. cities over this weekend, urging drivers to shut down their apps and stay off the job.

The group wants Uber to add a tipping option to the app, to increase rates for UberX rides by 60 percent, and increase the minimum fare and the cancellation fee to $7.

It’s almost two years behind schedule, but New York City is about to cut the ribbon on a subway project that should prove to be a major benefit for business travelers attending conventions in the Big Apple– or visitors headed to the city’s burgeoning Far West Side including the High Line and Hudson Yards development.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has set a September 13 start of service on the extension.The new 7 line runs east to west across midtown Manhattan along 42nd Street, with stops at Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue and Times Square. The new extension will continue west from Times Square to 11th Avenue, then turn south to 34th Street and the Javits Center, where a new station — 80 feet underground — has been built.

The new station is called 34th Street-Hudson Yards. Besides the convention center, it will also serve the eventual residents of the huge Hudson Yards residential project that is going up nearby. The Number 7 extension is the first new subway line to open in New York since 1989.

So what’s so unusual about this new line? If you’ve ever sweltered in a New York underground subway station during the odiferous dog days of summer, here’s a real bonus: The new 34th Street–Hudson Yards station is the first one in the entire system to be climate-controlled. Ahhhh.

Nearly 500,000 people pass through Times Square every day (Photo: Neo_II / Flickr)

Crowding in New York City is reaching epidemic proportions. Especially in Midtown and particularly in Times Square.

In the rare case you haven’t been to Manhattan lately, you should know that the number of tourists visiting New York City hit an historic high last year. This week the NYC Mayor’s office proudly proclaimed that a whopping 56.4 million showed up to take in its sights and sounds.

That’s over 20 million more visitors than 14 years ago, in 2000, when 36.2 million showed up.

If you have been to New York recently and dared to venture into the Times Square area, you know that it feels like all 56 million showed up on the day you got there, right? Roughly 480,000 pedestrians pass through Times Square every day. Before 2009, that number was 350,000.

Sometimes you have to fight just to get in or out of your hotel room door. Finding a cab or open seat at a restaurant is nearly impossible. Bumping into first timers looking up and pointing from sidewalks, hawkers or people dressed up as costumed characters is a regular occurrence.

It’s become so crazy that I now take the advice of aggravated locals and just avoid Midtown and Times Square completely. (The New York Times opined about the problem last month)

The problem for me, and I’m sure for many TravelSkills readers is that business meetings frequently take place in Midtown. So if you want to stay close to your meeting, you are kinda stuck.

I used to think I was being smart by staying at the InterContinental or Westin Times Square, both located on what used to the be the quiet western edge of all the action. But with the resurgence of Hells Kitchen and Clinton neighborhoods along 8th and 9th Avenues, it’s packed over there, too.

I’ve found some respite in the limited service hotel village that has spring up between Herald Square and the Empire State Building, but even that’s becoming overcrowded and frequently sold out.

So I’m looking for some advice here. What are the best (or your favorite) hotels on the fringes of Midtown, away from the madding crowds, that are close enough to walk to Midtown, but far enough away that I don’t feel like I’m part of the circus?

Delta expands at JFK. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Delta Air Lines have cut the ribbon on a $175 million expansion of Terminal 4 at New York JFK. The 11-gate, 75,000-square-foot extension of T4’s B Concourse allows Delta to move most of its regional Delta Connection flights there from Terminal 2. Delta said the expansion will make for easier connections and improved access to amenities in both its terminals. The facility features a new JFK jitney bus stop in addition to those at Gate B18 in T4 and Gate C60 in T2. All the new gates provide enclosed jet bridges for boarding regional aircraft. New facilities are great… but have have you walked the length of Delta’s T4 at JFK? It’s way out there. Way.

A 747 to Honolulu! Starting May 15, Delta is re-introducing Boeing 747-400 operations on Atlanta – Honolulu route, for the first time since October 2009. The 747-400 will operate daily, replacing Airbus A330-300. (Airline Route)

Reader question: TravelSkills reader A.S. has a question. Can anyone answer this one? Why don’t the airlines in the US onload and offload passengers from both ends of the plane, like they do in Europe? Please leave your answer below.

CUBA

Vamos a Cuba! In case you’ve been under a rock all week, you should know that new relaxed rules about travel to Cuba went into effect on Friday. NBC sent a crew out to TravelSkills World HQ to interview Chris about the new rules. While the interview lasted about 20 minutes, The TODAY Show used only about 20 seconds. (You can see it in the clip above at about 1:30 mins). What else did I say? I agree that this is a smart move– it’s time to abandon a 54 year old policy that is not working. AND, I think that it’s a GOOD thing that congress is going to stall on full repeal of the current embargo with Cuba, because once that is lifted, swarms of American’s kept away from this forbidden fruit of the Caribbean are going to invade and Cuba simply cannot accommodate them right now. Cuba simply does not have the infrastructure (hotels, roads, buses, airport gates) to deal with millions of Americans eager to get there. Once the embargo does come down and Americans have easy (and cheap) access to the island, the tourist economies of Florida and many Caribbean islands are going to take a hit— that’s probably a hidden reason there is so much opposition in Florida to relaxing travel restrictions. Also, many Canadians and Europeans have long favored vacations in Cuba because of the lack of Americans. That of course is going to change. Prices will rise, crowding will be an issue. In the near term, I also think we’ll see much more business travel to the island as US companies are eager to tap into this market of 11 million people and US hotel companies, cruise lines, airlines jump into the market. How do you feel about Cuba? Are you eager to see it? When might you go? Leave your comments below.

HOTELS

The first Virgin hotel in the US has opened in Chicago and here’s a peek inside (Photo: Virgin Hotels)

Dead week hotel deals abound. Except for this MLK weekend, we are still in the depths of the “dead weeks” when travel prices plummet and last minute deals abound. This means that it makes good sense to wait around for last minute deals by trolling sites such as Hotwire or apps such as HotelTonight for deep discounts. New York Hotel Week will conclude shortly with super low rates ($100 to $200 per night) at some of the best known and most trendy properties in town (details here). This month, hotel prices in key European cities have fallen to their lowest in the past four years, according to the Trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI)– and a strong dollar is making Europe an even better bargain for US travelers this year.

Virgin’s first property debuts. Sir Richard Branson’s latest travel venture, Virgin Hotels, has opened its first property in downtown Chicago. The 250-room hotel — in the Old Dearborn Bank Building at 203 N. Wabash — offers free high-speed Internet, an absence of many traditional fees, and a social space called The Commons Club for dining, drinking and mingling. Virgin Hotels also introduced a downloadable app called Lucy that can be used to request hotel services, control guest room TVs and thermostats, find local restaurant suggestions and play music and movies.

Marriott revises Wi-Fi blocking policy. To re-clarify its position on guests’ personal Wi-Fi hotspots, Marriott said last week that because it “listens to our customers,” it will not block guests’ personal Wi-Fi “at any of our managed hotels.” (Note: Lots of Marriott-branded and affiliated hotels are not managed by Marriott.) A few weeks ago, the company said it would never block such activity in guest rooms or public areas, but it hedged on meeting rooms. Marriott and the American Hotel and Lodging Association have petitioned the FCC for a rules interpretation that would allow hoteliers to “detect and contain rogue and impostor Wi-Fi hotspsots” in conference rooms. Hotspots at meetings might be safe for now, but Marriott said it will continue to pursue the effort at the FCC “to clarify appropriate security measures network operators can take to protect customer data.”

This is Part 2 of this weekend’s Catching up on Travel News with TravelSkills. ICYMI here’s Part 1

United regional jets will get Wi-Fi. United said it will expand in-flight Wi-Fi service to more than 200 of its two-cabin United Express aircraft, including Embraer 170s and 175s, and CRJ700s. The service should be available on some planes before year’s end, with the whole job finished by next summer. “Early next year,” a spokesman said, “United expects to expand personal device entertainment to these aircraft, enabling customers to select from a wide range of movies and television shows to view on their Wi-Fi-enabled iOS and Android devices using United’s mobile app, as well as on laptop computers.” Some good news: Gogo’s wi-fi works very well on smaller aircraft where there are not too many passengers hogging bandwidth. While this installation announcement is great news, United still lags behind other major carriers when it comes to consistent inflight wi-fi.

Delta’s 747s disappearing faster. Like other airlines, Delta is phasing out its 747 fleet– last summer we reported that it was unloading four 747s in the coming year. This week, the carrier announced that it is speeding up that process. Delta’s CEO said the airline’s 747s — used on Pacific routes — should all be gone by 2017. It is acquiring new Airbus A330s to replace the Boeing jumbos. How do you feel about this? Leave your comments below.

Inside San Francisco International’s popular new Terminal 2 (SFO)

SFO is hot hot hot. The technology boom is playing out at SFO with airlines from around the world clamoring to get in, or expand their service there. Here’s a roundup of all the action:

United’s new nonstop from SFO to Tokyo Haneda starts Oct 26. (It will continue to offer flights to Narita, as will ANA. JAL now flies SFO-HND.)

Foreign carriers boost U.S. service. Subject to government approvals, Ethiopian Airlines plans to launch new 787 service next June between Addis Ababa and Los Angeles three times a week (via Dublin, Ireland, which means you can now fly to Ireland on Ethiopian Airlines) … Effective November 10, Delta’s Skyteam partner KLM will boost its Atlanta-Amsterdam schedule from seven flights a week to 12 … Air France will deploy an Airbus A380 super-jumbo on its Paris-Miami route from December 1 through March 28 … In March 2015, Philippine Airlines will begin new east coast service, flying from Manila to New York JFK via Vancouver four times a week, using a two-class A340-300.

Virgin upgrades transatlantic fleet. Delta’s joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic has taken delivery of its first new 787-9 (the “stretch” version of the 787), and will put it into service October 28 between London Heathrow and Boston six times a week. Over the next few months, Virgin will deploy other new 787-9s from Heathrow to Dulles, Newark and JFK. The aircraft have 31 seats in Upper Class, 198 in economy and 35 in Premium Economy; the latter section has a new “Wander Wall” — “a social space where customers can stretch their legs and mingle with other passengers,” the company said.

London Bonus: Did you know that you can earn 7,500 to 35,000 MileagePlus bonus miles for United or Air Canada flights from the US or Canada to London this fall? To get the miles, register online and book between now and December 12 for trips through December 12.

HOTELS

Hilton’s new brand. What exactly is a “lifestyle brand” in the hotel industry? The definition is decidedly vague, but now Hilton is launching one of its own — Canopy Hotels. The company says the properties will provide “simple, guest-directed service, thoughtful local choices, and comfortable spaces, so guests simply feel better going forward.” (Isn’t that what all hotels do?) They’ll start opening in 2015; Hilton has letters of intent for Canopy properties in Portland,. London, Miami, Washington D.C., San Diego, Nashville, Savannah, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Ithaca, N.Y.

The aerie atop the new Hyatt Herald Square in NYC (Photo: Hyatt)

Another new Hyatt in NYC. Just two months after opening its posh Park Hyatt on West 57th Street, Hyatt has cut the ribbon on another new Manhattan property. The 122-room Hyatt Herald Square New York is on West 31st Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway– a still somewhat gritty area that is now packed with new, primarily “limited service” hotels. This full service Hyatt has three food and beverage outlets including a rooftop cocktail lounge with views of the Midtown skyline.

NOTE: This is Part 2 of this weekend’s Catching up on Travel News with TravelSkills. ICYMI here’s Part 1

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When it comes to business travel, New York City is on a roll. In 2013, the city hosted a record 54 million visitors, whose spending produced nearly $60 billion in economic impact.

While most business travelers have likely bedded down at hotels in the popular, central Midtown area, demand has prompted a hotel building boom across all five boroughs. Over the last year a slew of new, upscale options have come online in areas like the Upper West Side (NYLO hotel), Greenwich Village (The Jade Hotel), Brooklyn (Wythe Hotel) and Queens (Z Hotel). Meanwhile, the Herald Square area has seen an influx of mid-priced, brand name hotels such as Best Western Premier, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Marriott Courtyard, among others. Last winter Marriott opened two new hotels inside the same building: a 378-room Courtyardand a 261-room Residence Inn. The soaring steel and glass tower near the southwest corner of Central Park is the tallest hotel building in the western hemisphere. More than 5,000 rooms have been built in the last two years, and by the end of 2014 the city will have more than 100,000, reports NYC & Company, the city’s tourism organization.

While New York City is the US’ most frequented point of entry for international travellers, the airport customs and immigration process can be slow and frustrating, in part because the city’s largest airports, John F Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty International andLaGuardia, are a mix of old and new. However, the arrival experience at New York City is improving. In May 2013, Delta Air Lines moved into a brand new $1.4 billion international terminal at JFK’s Terminal 4. In October, the airline rolled out new automated passport control kiosks in its customs and immigration hall, which helped cut the 35-minute average wait time in half.

Where should you stay in New York City? Dine? Entertain or spend a free afternoon? Read Chris’s entire BBC post here. But come back to TravelSkills to post your comments, observations, tips and advice!

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A brand new Marriott Courtyard AND Residence Inn open in December in this skyscraper near the SW corner of Central Park (Photo: Marriott)

New hotels are sprouting up throughout New York City like mushrooms after a storm—New York has added more than 5,000 rooms in the last two years, and by the end of 2014, it will boast over 100,000, according to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism organization.

In December alone, Marriott will open two brand new hotels inside the same building: a 378-room Courtyard and a 261-room Residence Inn. The soaring steel and glass tower near the southwest corner of Central Park is now the tallest hotel building in the western hemisphere. Also in December, Hyatt opens the brand new-from-the-ground-up 487-room, 54-story Hyatt Times Square.

Check out the view from this room at the brand new Viceroy Hotel on 57th St. (Photo: Viceroy Hotel)

While heavy demand is keeping hotel prices high, many of Manhattans newest hotels are in the less expensive category—for example, in an area between the Empire State Building and Herald Square (just south of Times Square)… there is a concentration of brand new mid-priced, big brand hotels such as Best Western Premier, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Marriott Courtyard (among others). These hotels offer relatively good deals, new (but small), modern rooms, free wi-fi, breakfast and points in your favorite hotel loyalty program– definitely worth checking out.

While most business travelers have likely spent the night at hotels in the popular, central Midtown or Times Square areas, demand has prompted a hotel building boom across all five boroughs of the city, providing a slew of brand new, upscale options in areas like the Upper West Side (NYLO hotel), Greenwich Village (The Jade Hotel) Brooklyn (Wythe Hotel) or Queens (Z Hotel).

Despite all the new construction, upscale hotels in NYC are expensive. It’s difficult to find a decent hotel room for less than $400 per night. Of course there are some times of year when rooms go for much less than that (like early January) but for the most part, you are going to have to part with a lot of cash for a nice room in NYC.

The opulent 909-room New York Palace hotel (on Madison Ave in Midtown) just completed a major $140 million re-do of all rooms and suites. Its triplex suites (see photo) are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in NYC. Wowza!

The mod, eclectic 178-room Hyatt Union Square opened in April 2013 one block south of Union Square Park on Fourth Ave and 13th St.

Hilton devotees should be pleased to know that the new 463-suite Conrad New York hotel in Battery Park City (near Freedom Tower) took the place of the one time Embassy Suites in the same building. It’s now much more upscale, and full of downtown financial types from Wall Street or the Goldman Sachs building next door (which incidentally owns the hotel.)

The chic 240-room Viceroy New York opened in October 2013 on West 57th Street near Carnegie Hall– and right next door to the Parker Meridien. The urbane 208-room Quin hotel opened down the street last earlier this month.

The new 60-room High Line Hotel (on the west side of town in Chelsea) is part of a mixed-use block that is part hotel, part Episcopal seminary and part residential building.

It’s fashionista central at the new 197-room Refinery Hotel, located in the garment district near Bryant Park.

A brand new Marriott Courtyard AND Residence Inn open in December in this skyscraper near the SW corner of Central Park (Photo: Marriott)

New hotels are sprouting up throughout New York City like mushrooms after a storm—New York has added more than 5,000 rooms in the last two years, and by the end of 2014, it will boast over 100,000, according to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism organization.

In December alone, Marriott will open two brand new hotels inside the same building: a 378-room Courtyard and a 261-room Residence Inn. The soaring steel and glass tower near the southwest corner of Central Park is now the tallest hotel building in the western hemisphere. Also in December, Hyatt opens the brand new-from-the-ground-up 487-room, 54-story Hyatt Times Square.

Check out the view from this room at the brand new Viceroy Hotel on 57th St. (Photo: Viceroy Hotel)

While heavy demand is keeping hotel prices high, many of Manhattans newest hotels are in the less expensive category—for example, in an area between the Empire State Building and Herald Square (just south of Times Square)… there is a concentration of brand new mid-priced, big brand hotels such as Best Western Premier, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Marriott Courtyard (among others). These hotels offer relatively good deals, new (but small), modern rooms, free wi-fi, breakfast and points in your favorite hotel loyalty program– definitely worth checking out.

While most business travelers have likely spent the night at hotels in the popular, central Midtown or Times Square areas, demand has prompted a hotel building boom across all five boroughs of the city, providing a slew of brand new, upscale options in areas like the Upper West Side (NYLO hotel), Greenwich Village (The Jade Hotel) Brooklyn (Wythe Hotel) or Queens (Z Hotel).

Despite all the new construction, upscale hotels in NYC are expensive. It’s difficult to find a decent hotel room for less than $400 per night. Of course there are some times of year when rooms go for much less than that (like early January) but for the most part, you are going to have to part with a lot of cash for a nice room in NYC.

The opulent 909-room New York Palace hotel (ion Madison Ave in Midtown) just completed a major $140 million re-do of all rooms and suites. Its triplex suites (see photo) are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in NYC. Wowza!

The mod, eclectic 178-room Hyatt Union Square opened in April 2013 one block south of Union Square Park on Fourth Ave and 13th St.

Hilton devotees should be pleased to know that the new 463-suite Conrad New York hotel in Battery Park City (near Freedom Tower) took the place of the one time Embassy Suites in the same building. It’s now much more upscale, and full of downtown financial types from Wall Street or the Goldman Sachs building next door (which incidentally owns the hotel.)

The chic 240-room Viceroy New York opened in October 2013 on West 57th Street near Carnegie Hall– and right next door to the Le Parker Meridien. The urbane 208-room Quin hotel opened down the street last earlier this month.

The new 60-room High Line Hotel (on the west side of town in Chelsea) is part of a mixed-use block that is part hotel, part Episcopal seminary and part residential building.

It’s fashionista central at the new 197-room Refinery Hotel, located in the garment district near Bryant Park.

Editor Chris McGinnis

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